The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Emergent BioSolutions – Ukraine aid, Russian oil top Congress’s to-do list

by Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver - 03/07/22 6:20 AM ET

Presented by Emergent BioSolutions

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Russia’s war with Ukraine worsened over the weekend, posing ominous new challenges for Ukraine’s government and NATO allies as members of Congress said Sunday they expect to approve $10 billion in aid to Ukraine this week.

Lawmakers in Washington, who listened on Saturday to pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a conference call, said they are split on the merits of a possible U.S. import ban on Russian oil and gas, which is not backed by the Biden administration, but are in bipartisan agreement with the administration that a no-fly zone, fervently advocated for by a frustrated Zelensky, would lead the U.S. and Europe into World War III with Russia.

Facing a separate legislative deadline Friday to fund the U.S. government, lawmakers want to concurrently approve a $10 billion emergency bill to assist Ukraine as soon as possible. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told “Fox News Sunday” they expect a measure that includes $4.8 billion for U.S. forces deployed to NATO nations, intelligence and cybersecurity spending and additional funds for weaponry to be used by Ukraine’s military to reach President Biden’s desk this week. The bill also includes $4.25 billion in humanitarian assistance (The New York Times).

“We need to make sure that we’re reinforcing Ukraine and providing as much lethal aid as possible,” Ernst said. She also emphasized the need for humanitarian funding for refugees crossing into countries neighboring Ukraine.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also sent a letter to colleagues Sunday saying the House is eyeing a bill to “ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States,” among other measures to isolate Russia economically.

Jordain Carney, The Hill: Lawmakers in both parties see limits on U.S. help for Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal: Ukraine, COVID-19 aid at stake as talks on omnibus spending bill continue.

The Hill: Ukraine crisis adds pressure to spending talks.

The other pressing issue for the U.S. is what to do on the gasoline front as prices skyrocket across the country. As of Sunday, the national average for a gallon of gasoline climbed above $4, marking the highest price at the pump since the economic collapse of 2008 (CNBC). Starting late in the week, calls among lawmakers for the U.S. to halt importing Russian oil have grown, with the White House reportedly looking at plan B in case it makes that move as it attempts to balance the Ukraine situation and rising inflation on the homefront.

According to Axios, the White House is discussing a potential Biden visit to Saudi Arabia this spring in a bid to push the U.S. ally into supplying more oil. That possible maneuver comes after administration officials met with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s team over the weekend, with lawmakers suggesting that oil from the country could help replace the oil Russia supplies. In 2021, the U.S. imported an average of 20.4 million barrels of crude and refined products per month, making up roughly 8 percent of liquid fuel imports (Reuters).

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said the administration and allies are talking about whether to ban Russian oil imports.

“We are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries while of course, at the same time, maintaining a steady global supply of oil,” Blinken told “Meet the Press” (The Hill).

The Wall Street Journal: Biden is caught between inflation and calls to ban Russian oil.

Bloomberg News: Oil shoots near $130 per barrel as chance of a ban on Russian supply spurs crisis fears.

Sylvan Lane, The Hill: Efforts to decimate the Russian economy threaten to boomerang.

The war’s Day 11 showed no signs of peaceful resolution (NBC News analysis) as Russian forces took aim at civilians and ignored temporary cease-fires, continued the invasion in southern parts of Ukraine, and attempted to slowly encircle Kyiv. Ukrainian forces managed to slow Russia’s advances in some cities, including Mykolaiv. Trapped residents of Mariupol are still trying to evacuate a city without water or access to sufficient food and cut off from electricity and internet communications. Zelensky warned Ukrainians today to expect Russia’s renewed assault on Ukraine’s major cities.

Russian and Ukrainian officials are expected to meet again today with little optimism of a breakthrough heading into a third round. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukraine will see relief only when it bows to all of Russia’s demands.

The Washington Post: Russia is a no-show today at a United Nations International Court of Justice proceeding.

The Biden administration, NATO countries and many members of Congress have turned aside the idea of imposing and defending a no-fly zone against Russian air power. The United States is trying to “end this war in Ukraine, not start a larger one,” Blinken told “Meet the Press” (The Hill).

The Hill’s take from Sunday talk shows: Ukraine no-fly zone debate dominated.

CNN: More than 30 countries have shut down their own airspace to Russian commercial flights.

Over the weekend, the secretary said the U.S. gave a “green light” to the idea that Poland, as a neighboring intermediary, could send fighter jets to Ukraine so its pilots and the Zelensky government could defend themselves (The Hill). It’s not clear Poland has warmed to that idea. There are numerous practical questions, including how to provide replacement planes to Poland and how to get the Polish planes to Ukraine, reports The New York Times. The next tranche of F-16s for export is set to go to Taiwan, American officials said, and they are reluctant to delay them.

“We’re talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to backfill their needs if in fact they choose to provide these fighter jets to the Ukrainians. What can we do? How can we help to make sure that they get something to backfill the planes that they’re handing over to the Ukrainians?” Blinken said from Moldova during an interview with CBS News.

Blinken (pictured below) will meet Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently spoke at length with Putin.

Other weekend attempts by world leaders to appeal to the Russian president to change course appear to have gone nowhere, including a Saturday visit to the Kremlin by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (The New York Times), and a Sunday phone call to Putin by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. Erdoğan emphasized the urgent importance of a cease-fire and humanitarian corridors and for a peace agreement to be signed, according to his official Twitter account (Reuters).

The Hill: The war in Ukraine jeopardizes U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere.

The Hill: U.S.-India relations are strained by the Ukraine crisis. New Delhi has refused to join a Western alliance to isolate Russia.

Russia’s determination to block accurate reports and broadcasts about Putin’s war and orders to report propaganda pose significant challenges for everyday Russians who want independent information as well as the independent journalists trying to cover the news inside Russia for the outside world (The Hill). Many Ukrainians find that their relatives in Russia do not believe there’s a war (The New York Times).

Independent TV Rain in Russia took itself off the air rather than broadcast disinformation (Deadline). The BBC pulled out of Russia. The Kremlin blocked Facebook and unveiled a “fake news” law (The Wall Street Journal). Independent outlet Meduza, headquartered in Latvia, was still trying to operate independently inside Russia through its app.

TikTok on Sunday said it temporarily blocked uploading of new video from Russia. “In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” the company announced (The Verge).

Photojournalists and news crews working in dangerous situations in Ukraine continue to reveal the arc of war thus far. Take a look: The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, The Art Newspaper, National Geographic, The Guardian and The New York Times.

White House: Vice President Harris will travel later this week to Poland and Romania to show solidarity with NATO allies and Ukraine (The Hill). … Emily Horne, spokeswoman for the National Security Council for 13 months and a veteran State Department official, is departing the West Wing on March 25 and will be succeeded by Adrienne Watson, whose experience is in Democratic politics (The Washington Post).

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LEADING THE DAY

POLITICS: The president, whose job approval poll numbers had been sinking for months, has seen a slight rebound as Americans turn their attention to Ukraine’s plight.

The White House has been searching for a way to turn over a new leaf and believes it finally has after a strong week, headlined by the State of the Union, bipartisan support for Ukraine, a robust jobs report and the kickoff of a campaign to put Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court. According to an NPR-PBS NewsHour-Marist National Poll released on Friday, Biden’s approval rating jumped to 47 percent after his numbers had been mired in the basement as he continues to battle high inflation and COVID-19 fatigue.

“The American people saw this week that President Biden is delivering on his promises,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a top Biden ally, name-checking the White House’s effort to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, work on Ukraine and the economy specifically. “On Tuesday night, we heard a clear and forceful argument from President Biden about where we are as a country and his vision to address the challenges we face at home and abroad, and I believe it’s a vision that working Americans support” (The Hill).

This week, Biden’s effort to boost his political standing will include a trip to Philadelphia to headline the three-day retreat House Democrats are holding. The retreat is set to start on Thursday.

CBS News: Conservative think tank’s exclusive gathering will include Biden official — but not Trump.

The Hill: Senate Republicans set sights on blue state “sleeper” races.

The Associated Press: Republican “unforced errors” threaten path to Senate control.

Politico: The Democratic Party’s emerging priority: Save the governors.

Josh Kraushaar, National Journal: Democrats at an ideological crossroads in Texas.

> Jan. 6 latest: GOP lawmakers are warning that any Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecution of former President Trump will be tainted by politics, setting a high bar for Attorney General Merrick Garland to act on an expected criminal referral from the House’s Jan. 6 committee.

As The Hill’s Alexander Bolton writes, the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack offered up a sneak peek at its likely referral to the DOJ in a court filing made public last week and experts say it would be a complex case to pursue. On top of the political stakes and sure-fire, early accusations that Garland would be launching a politically motivated prosecution, it would constitute a gamble on his end to move ahead with charges.

The Hill: Jan. 6 panel has tough case to make on Trump criminal conspiracy.

The New York Times: How the Manhattan D.A.’s investigation into Trump unraveled.

The Associated Press: Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) rips “cancel culture,” hints at political comeback.

Politico: “Pretty far down on the list”: Why Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) are an unsolvable problem for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

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IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

CORONAVIRUS: Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported this morning: 958,621.

As of today, 75.8 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 64.5 percent is “fully vaccinated,” according to the Bloomberg News global vaccine tracker and the government’s definition. The percentage of Americans who have received third or booster doses is 28.3.

> This week, the world will mark the second anniversary since the World Health Organization declared a coronavirus pandemic, a crisis poised to enter its third year. The international death toll nears 6 million, which is likely an undercount (The Associated Press). The U.S. is close to 1 million COVID-19 fatalities.

As most of the developed world champions a new phase of “living with COVID-19,” and resumes indoor work and travel while lifts most restrictions and required precautions, vaccination rates remain low in poor countries, U.S. protesters continue demonstrating their opposition to masks and vaccines, while surges in infections and rising death rates have not been eradicated in places such as Hong Kong.

A semi-autonomous city in China with a population of 7.5 million people now experiencing a dramatic surge in coronavirus infections, Hong Kong urged public calm over the weekend about required mass COVID-19 testing. On Sunday, 153 people died from COVID-19 as 31,008 new infections were reported (Reuters and The Hill). COVID-19 is seen as a “preventable disaster” there (CNN).

The Wall Street Journal: Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, which uses a more traditional version of vaccine science, is moving closer to a decision by the Food and Drug Administration about whether it will get federal approval.

The Wall Street Journal: As COVID-19 rules dissolve into voluntary guidance for businesses, local governments and individuals, restaurants continue debating masking. For example, Shake Shack is keeping them. Texas Roadhouse dropped them.

The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@digital-stage.thehill.com and aweaver@digital-stage.thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!

OPINION

How to stop a nuclear war, by Ross Douthat, columnist, The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/3Kn1cIg

Seizing superyachts Is not the best way to help Ukraine, by Matthew Yglesias, columnist, Bloomberg Opinion. https://bloom.bg/35Z78sk

WHERE AND WHEN

The House meets at noon.

The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. and will resume consideration of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022.

The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 9:30 a.m. He has no public events on his schedule.

The vice president will deliver remarks on the COVID-19 stimulus package and the bipartisan infrastructure law at 11:35 a.m. from the White House’s South Court Auditorium.

Blinken today is in Riga, Latvia, to meet with President Egils Levits, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics. He also will meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at 3:30 p.m. will participate in a roundtable event focused on labor market competition and findings of a Treasury report on the topic. The discussion will include Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan and other senior Biden advisers. The roundtable gathering will take place in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room and be live streamed.

First lady Jill Biden will travel to Phoenix to promote the president’s agenda and headline a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.

The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 2 p.m.

Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features news and interviews at http://digital-stage.thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. ET at Rising on YouTube.

ELSEWHERE

➜ INTERNATIONAL: North Korean state media said on Sunday that the dictatorial country conducted “another important test” required to create a spy satellite, signaling that it could soon launch a long-range rocket despite a ban by the United Nations. The Korean Central News Agency said that North Korea conducted it in order to test a reconnaissance satellite’s data transmission and reception as well as control systems. It remains unclear if North Korea has a camera that would be able to produce images in a high enough resolution for spying capabilities (The Hill).

➜ STATE WATCH: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial and backyard bird flocks has been confirmed in at least 10 states since early February, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state governments. That’s bad news nationwide for poultry producers and backyard poultry enthusiasts. Impacted to date and on alert for the HPAI virus, which can be deadly in bird flocks but not in humans: Missouri, Indiana, Connecticut, Iowa, New York, Michigan, Maine, Delaware, Kentucky and Virginia. Because infections in wild ducks and geese can spread the virus to commercial flocks, a list of states in which HPAI has been reported in wild fowl helps the industry track the current spread across the U.S.

A MESSAGE FROM EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS

We Go to protect those who protect us. For more than two decades, Emergent has developed, manufactured, and delivered protections against critical health threats.

THE CLOSER

And finally … The vice president, whose advocacy for federal passage of voting rights legislation is part of her domestic portfolio, on Sunday walked across Selma, Ala.’s Edmund Pettus bridge to mark Bloody Sunday, a seminal event for civil rights 57 years ago when 600 people began a march to Montgomery, Ala., to seek an end to discrimination in voter registration and were viciously attacked with clubs and tear gas by state troopers.

In remarks beneath a sunny sky, Harris reflected on the events of 1965 and the strides for civil rights since then. “We again, however, find ourselves caught in between. Between injustice and justice. Between disappointment and determination,” she said, accompanied by members of the Biden Cabinet. “Still in a fight to form a more perfect union. And nowhere is that more clear than when it comes to the ongoing fight to secure the freedom to vote” (ABC News).

Voting rights measures backed by Biden and Harris have stalled in Congress and have encountered pushback in the Supreme Court — setbacks Democrats fear will not be overcome if the party loses majorities in the House and Senate after November. Harris told a crowd of thousands in Selma that it is important to “continue to push Congress.”

Biden in a written statement on Sunday renewed his call for reforms in federal law to counter legislation adopted by some Republican legislatures and signed by conservative governors. “The battle for the soul of America has many fronts. The right to vote is the most fundamental,” he repeated.

Harris returned to Washington late Sunday night to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as its security responded to an active shooter emergency involving two people who drove onto the base through a security checkpoint and then fled on foot. One suspect was arrested with a weapon while another was being sought. The vice president, her husband and returning Cabinet members were not in danger as they arrived and then departed the base, military authorities said (The New York Times).